The present invention relates to an oral deodorant for excreta containing a proanthocyanidin, which is effective on excreta such as excrement and urine and a method of reducing the odor of excrete
Concern about deodorization of the body odor or the odor of excreta from humans, pets, livestock, etc. has now been growing. For example, the odor of the excreta of domesticated pets such as cats and dogs gives owners discomfort, and the odor of the excreta from a bedridden old, etc. has given rise to a social problem, casting a heavier burden on an attendant.
Under these circumstances, various studies have been conducted on deodorization of the excreta. Proposals include, for example, a method of masking the offensive odor of excreta such as excrement and urine by spraying a fragrance, a method by adsorption of the odor by activated carbon, and a method by scattering a specific compound such as a proanthocyanidin on the source of offensive odors (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-160962).
All these methods provide measures to be taken against excreted substances, which we can call xe2x80x9cpost-excretion treatmentxe2x80x9d.
On the other hand, deodorants which are orally taken for the purpose of reducing the bad odor of excreta such as excrement and urine have also been developed. For example, oral deodorants and the like containing, as an active ingredient, mushroom extract (Koizumi Iwao, Nihon Kosyueisei Zasshi, vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 5-11 (1997)), green tea extract (Kawakami Masako, New Food Industry, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 33-40 (1998) or tannic acid (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 117326/92) are known. However, they are not necessarily satisfactory because of their weak effects or because the practical dose is limited from the economical standpoint.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel oral deodorant for excreta which is inexpensive and greatly effective and a method of reducing the odor of excreta.
The present inventors have conducted extensive investigations to achieve the above object and surprisingly found as a result that an orally taken proanthocyanidin brings about remarkable reduction in the odor of excreta and that it exhibits quick onset and long duration.
The present invention has been completed based on the above findings and provides an oral deodorant for excreta which contains a proanthocyanidin as an active ingredient.
The present invention also provides an oral deodorant for excreta which contains a proanthocyanidin and mushroom extract as active ingredients.
The present invention further provides a method of reducing the odor of excreta of an object comprising dosing the object with an effective amount of a proanthocyanidin.
The present invention furthermore provides a method of reducing the odor of excreta of an object comprising dosing the object with effective amounts of a proanthocyanidin and mushroom extract.